214 J. F. M. Floyd—The Orange-bellied Grass Parrot


Even in those days the Parrots were known to migrate, at certain

seasons of the year, to the south-eastern coast of Australia between

Kingston in South Australia and Portland in Victoria, a habit that

was shared, and still is, by the Tasmanian Firetail Finch.


This Finch is also to be found in the south-east and now nests

there, as I observed the parent Finches with two young ones recently

when trying to catch the Orange-bellied Grass Parrot.


In 1927, 1928, and 1929 I made three trips to the south-east in

search of this Parrot. On one occasion I heard some Neophema calling

as they flew some distance away but I was never lucky enough to

see one. On one trip I picked up a dead one in some reeds ; it had

been shot some months before, but there were enough feathers attached

to the skeleton to enable me to identify it. Sandwiched in between

these trips had been two others in search of the Scarlet-chested Parrot,

which were unsuccessful, but while I was in England it is now avi-

cultural history how the Splendids were located, caught, and bred

in captivity.


On my return from England I made another attempt on the Orange-

bellies at the end of 1933 and once more failed to sight the

bird.


Then came 1934, and at the end of October, after a fast trip

averaging 49 miles per hour, I arrived at our destination and proceeded

to take a walk. My son aged 14 accompanied me. Within five minutes

we flushed three birds from under a bush and they only flew about

10 yards and perched on another small bush about 2 feet high.


It was 4.30 in the afternoon and the light was good. Can you

imagine the rate of my heart beats, when I recognized the Parrot I

had been chasing for seven years ?


A little farther on we came across two more and that was enough

—the birds were there ! I did not like my chance of catching any

as it was on a hillside with a large bare area and to hope that the

birds would land anywhere near my nets seemed to be asking for

a miracle.


Hurrying back to the car, we brought the trapping gear up the

hill, set a net, built a hide, and, while doing so, saw two flocks of over

twenty of these birds flying overhead.



